CPP to continue use of landmines amidst Pres. Rody’s warning

THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) ordered on Monday the New People’s Army (NPA) to further expand the use of landmine as offensive tactics against the government forces.“The NPA must further expand use of command-detonated explosives (CDX) in launching tactical offensives against the government forces,” read the press statement.In a released statement posted on its website, the CPP rejected the demand of Duterte against land mines — calling such as "baseless".

The CPP insisted that landmines are "legitimate weapons of war and are allowed under the Geneva Conventions and the Ottawa Treaty on Landmines.”“Perhaps, he has not been closely listening to explanations about landmine conventions and distinctions made about different types of landmines. The aim of the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines is to protect civilians from accidental explosions,” the statement said.

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As defined by the Treaty, anti-personnel mines are those designed to be exploded by “the presence, proximity or contact of a person.” “The NPA is very careful about using weapons that may accidentally hurt or injure civilians,” it added.The CPP said that the explosives and landmines used by NPA were command-detonated or blasted manually, some with a battery-powered electronic trigger."CDX landmines, which NPA ordinance units manufacture carefully, will not explode simply if it is stepped on, tripped upon or kicked around. Furthermore, CDX landmines are not laid out indiscriminately and are always manned or within the immediate proximity of the NPA unit that emplaced them.”However, the CPP reiterates its support for peace negotiations and urges the President to fulfill his promise to release all political prisoners who will serve as consultants in the talks.It can be noted that on Sunday, Duterte has made a pronouncement that the NPA need to stop using landmines, otherwise the peace talks will be not be pursued. AJRSP